New to Celebrity

[Reijo]

My husband and I, along with two other couples, will be taking our first cruise on a Celebrity ship.  We have taken 34 cruises with 26 of them being on RCCL ships.  I've heard that Celebrity is a bit "classier" than RCCL.  Can anyone help us out as to the main differences between the two Lines.  While I know the ships differ, I'm going to ask the age old question about the MDR and attire.  We do not dress in formal attire on the formal nights but opt to wear "Sunday clothes".  Since I keep hearing the term "classy" when talking about Celebrity ships, I just want to make sure that we dress in what is acceptable.  Obviously, I assume, no shorts.....however, on RCCL people come in, in EVERYTHING and it appears there is no longer a "suggested attire", or it's just ignored.  Is there anything else that is a big change between the cruise lines that would be helpful.  We will be sailing on Silhouette in March 2020.

[killsport]

Welcome @Reijo

You'll find a billion discussions (maybe a slight exaggeration, but not much) on the dress code.

I'll try to sum it up - dress reasonably and you'll be fine. While there may be some outliers, most people will wear the following on "Chic" nights:

Men - khakis/slacks and a button-down shirt (you will see suits, tuxes, and polo shirts as well, plus the random few who somehow think that dressing in ripped jeans and a ripped tee shirt is appropriate)

Women - skirts / dresses / slacks and a blouse (you will see formal gowns and nice jeans as well)

On "regular" nights, you'll often see:

Men - nicer jeans / khakis and a polo shirt or button down shirt

Women - skirts / sun-dresses / slacks / those-comfy-billowy-yoga-type-pants-my-wife-now-loves and a shirt/blouse

 

We used to bring full attire (tuxes and gowns) many years ago but started to realize it wasn't our thing. So we became more casual.

My suggestion (and only a suggestion) is that you not get offended by people who wear junky clothes. It may be frustrating, but don't let it spoil your cruise. You should see a lot less of it on Celebrity than Royal.

 

In a related note, be aware that March is still spring break time, so you may have more children on board than if you went, say, mid-November). Having said that, I've seem some teens dress more respectably and act more responsibly than their parents!

 

Enjoy!!!!

[Jim_Iain]

Celebrity shifted from formal evenings to Chic night.   The definition of Chic is a bit loose and include designer jeans up to Full Black Tie.   You choose for yourself what to wear.   Most guests dress nicer than regular evenings and I would say wear what you would wear if going out to a nice restaurant.   About 10-15% will dress formally and a good percentage of men will wear a jacket with or without a tie.  

 

 

[keesar]

Shorts are usually not allowed in the MDR in the evening.  You will find very few people dressed 'formally' in the tuxedo sense.  You will find most dressing as country club casual.  On the Evening Chic nights, many men will wear jackets with or without ties.  Many ladies will wear fancy dresses.   As mentioned, think about dining these nights at a fancy restaurant back home.

[George C]

I have seen shorts in mdr in evening but in general people are dressed better than on rccl. Shorts will be rare in the evening. Entertainment is way better on rccl . Buffet on celebrity is way better than rccl windjammer . If you book a suite perks are way better on celebrity. Since you did 26 rccl I sure you are diamond, so you will be elite on celebrity call them to get perks like free drinks. 

[Reijo]

Thanks for your information.  Glad that the buffet is superior to Windjammer.  We are actually Diamond Plus (as of our last cruise).  We're looking forward to trying Celebrity, just wish they sailed out of Port Canaveral.  Thanks again.

[wrk2cruise]

You will still be Elite on Celebrity as that is as high as the reciprocal status goes.

 

[DENIE]

Congrats on your first Celebrity Cruise!  You should feel at home.  On our 2 cruises, we've seen a few tuxes and others in coats/ties, but most guys wear nice slacks and button down shirts.  Women wear as others have described.  Haven't seen any shorts or ripped jeans at any time in the evening in the MDR.  On many nights, I have a nice dressy pair of dark jeans (no holes!) that I often wear as well.

[chemmo]

Welcome to Celebrity! Like you our first cruises were on Royal Caribbean. We decided to try Celebrity and now only cruise RC if a Celebrity cruise can not fit in with our schedules.

 

You will find Celebrity a far more relaxing experience than RC. Fewer activities, less announcements, more guests just enjoying lying back and chilling out. Shows are less varied than on RC, seats are usually plentiful. 

 

The Elite cocktail evening events are more about socialising than free drinks and the morning Elite breakfast makes a pleasant change. Free bag of laundry is always useful.

 

We can come of a RC cruise feeling in need of a holiday, we invariably leave a Celebrity cruise feeling relaxed and refreshed.

 

Hope you enjoy!

[TeeRick]

22 hours ago, Reijo said:

Thanks for your information.  Glad that the buffet is superior to Windjammer.  We are actually Diamond Plus (as of our last cruise).  We're looking forward to trying Celebrity, just wish they sailed out of Port Canaveral.  Thanks again.

We sailed RCCL for years and we still do occasionally.  But we have mostly shifted away from them to Celebrity.  In general Celebrity offers a quieter ship and more relaxed experience overall.  Lots of people will offer their subjective opinions on food and entertainment.  I will not.  We enjoy both lines.  One difference is that there is no equivalent to the Diamond Lounge on Celebrity.  But as you will be Elite you can get free drinks at happy hour at most bars.  Also it is a lot more common to have a beverage package included on Celebrity.  But don't expect rock climbing walls, bumper cars and water slides!

[Luvcrusn]

On Celebrity ships there is no smoking anywhere indoors including the casino!😃 That's a biggie for us since I'm extremely sensitive to smoke and can't even walk through the casinos in Royal let alone use them. We find the service a step up from our experiences on Royal ships and the food a bit better, and there tend to be fewer families with children due to the lack of rock walls, wave pools, carousels, etc. It's a more laid back relaxing kind of vibe. As said above there are no more "formal" nights on X, just Evening Chic which offers everyone a wide range of choice. Although I've read posts on this forum about people seeing folks wearing shorts allowed in the MDR I've seen it only once in 20 years. That was on night 1 of the cruise and the gentleman in question had the airline lose his luggage.

[davekathy]

On 8/19/2019 at 9:48 AM, Reijo said:

My husband and I, along with two other couples, will be taking our first cruise on a Celebrity ship.  We have taken 34 cruises with 26 of them being on RCCL ships.  I've heard that Celebrity is a bit "classier" than RCCL.  Can anyone help us out as to the main differences between the two Lines.  While I know the ships differ, I'm going to ask the age old question about the MDR and attire.  We do not dress in formal attire on the formal nights but opt to wear "Sunday clothes".  Since I keep hearing the term "classy" when talking about Celebrity ships, I just want to make sure that we dress in what is acceptable.  Obviously, I assume, no shorts.....however, on RCCL people come in, in EVERYTHING and it appears there is no longer a "suggested attire", or it's just ignored.  Is there anything else that is a big change between the cruise lines that would be helpful.  We will be sailing on Silhouette in March 2020.

Welcome aboard flute of sparkling wine during embarkation.  No inside smoking  including the casino or on balconies, no rock climbing walls, no flow rider, no ice skating rink, no QUEST. You will be elite with "0" Captain Club points. Call the Captains Club at 1-800-760-0654 to verify your status is documented. No 24 hour dedicated CC HH lounge for elite and elite plus. CC HH is from 5 PM to 7 PM in the Sky Lounge except the evening of embarkation. Unlimited CC HH drinks loaded on your Seapass card (except for the first evening) to enjoy at the bars except at the World Class Bar. CC HH drinks are not served in the dining venues.  No buffet set up (like on RC) during CC HH in the Sky Lounge but servers serve snacks along with taking drink orders. Like RC you will receive in your stateroom a full list of all elite perks for your cruise.  We enjoy cruising with both Celebrity and RC. We like the similarities and differences between the two cruise lines.

[Tatka]

Hi. We sailed 14 times with Royal (9 times in the last 4 years) and 5 with Celebrity.

Unless something has changes food is better on Celebrity and especially it is noticeable in buffet.

Overall experience is more elegant. 

 We will miss DL on our upcoming cruise on X Summit even though are are very glad with status match.

[Luvcrusn]

You'll also get 90 free WIFI minutes (each Elite) or a 30%discount on the unlimited package. The minutes don't have to be used consecutively, so be sure to log out when you're finished or the minutes will continue to run. If you want to purchase the package before you go, call Captains Club at 800-760-0654 and ask them to apply your discount. We haven't sailed on Royal in the past five years, so it may have changed, but on X you can use any OBC you may have received from X before the cruise for in cruise purchases (not OBC from a TA). If you want to make a pre-cruise purchase using OBC, it's best to do it by calling Captains Club and have them apply it rather than depending on the mostly wonky X website.

[CruisinCons]

On 8/20/2019 at 4:15 PM, Luvcrusn said:

You'll also get 90 free WIFI minutes (each Elite) or a 30%discount on the unlimited package. The minutes don't have to be used consecutively, so be sure to log out when you're finished or the minutes will continue to run. If you want to purchase the package before you go, call Captains Club at 800-760-0654 and ask them to apply your discount. We haven't sailed on Royal in the past five years, so it may have changed, but on X you can use any OBC you may have received from X before the cruise for in cruise purchases (not OBC from a TA). If you want to make a pre-cruise purchase using OBC, it's best to do it by calling Captains Club and have them apply it rather than depending on the mostly wonky X website.

 

The 90 free minutes, that is the streaming internet, right?  We're getting the new surf package for my husband, and I was going to use our two sets of 90 free minutes, but I need streaming capability. 

[Luvcrusn]

2 hours ago, CruisinCons said:

 

The 90 free minutes, that is the streaming internet, right?  We're getting the new surf package for my husband, and I was going to use our two sets of 90 free minutes, but I need streaming capability. 

Yes you will be able to stream with the 90 free minutes. Keep in mind that although the ship internet is able to stream mid day when many people are on it may be draggy. Also keep in mind if purchasing a package that it's either the discount or the free 90 minutes. You each get the choice if you're both Elite and you can each make individual choices. You may take the free minutes and he can purchase with a package. Also, if you do take the 90 free minutes remember to log off after you use it or your minutes will continue to run.

[CruisinCons]

22 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

Yes you will be able to stream with the 90 free minutes. Keep in mind that although the ship internet is able to stream mid day when many people are on it may be draggy. Also keep in mind if purchasing a package that it's either the discount or the free 90 minutes. You each get the choice if you're both Elite and you can each make individual choices. You may take the free minutes and he can purchase with a package. Also, if you do take the 90 free minutes remember to log off after you use it or your minutes will continue to run.

 

Thank you!  I'm used to fighting with Voom on Royal. I'm hoping since I'm on a repo that it will be an older crowd that isn't as phone-addicted as we are.  😄

I've just started watching prices, and so far the most of a pre-cruise discount I've seen is 20%, so if I do decide to buy the package it's better to buy on the ship for the 30%?  I've read Celebrity doesn't play with it's prices like Royal does...

[Luvcrusn]

8 minutes ago, CruisinCons said:

 

Thank you!  I'm used to fighting with Voom on Royal. I'm hoping since I'm on a repo that it will be an older crowd that isn't as phone-addicted as we are.  😄

I've just started watching prices, and so far the most of a pre-cruise discount I've seen is 20%, so if I do decide to buy the package it's better to buy on the ship for the 30%?  I've read Celebrity doesn't play with it's prices like Royal does...

They won't stack the 30% discount onto a sale, it'll be one or the other, but the 30% at the pre cruise purchase price will be your best bet most times. You don't have to wait until you're on board to purchase with the 30%, you can call Captains Club at 800-760-0654 pre-cruise and tell them you want your Elite discount (for DH, yourself or both) and they will take care of it for you. If you have any OBC from X, they're deduct from that if you'd like. You can purchase 1 package for DH and just take the free 90 minutes for yourself. You don't need to do anything ahead of the cruise other than make sure your Captains Club numbers are added to your reservation. Then once you're on board you just create an account and log on (and off when you're not using) for the free minutes.

[CruisinCons]

21 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

They won't stack the 30% discount onto a sale, it'll be one or the other, but the 30% at the pre cruise purchase price will be your best bet most times. You don't have to wait until you're on board to purchase with the 30%, you can call Captains Club at 800-760-0654 pre-cruise and tell them you want your Elite discount (for DH, yourself or both) and they will take care of it for you. If you have any OBC from X, they're deduct from that if you'd like. You can purchase 1 package for DH and just take the free 90 minutes for yourself. You don't need to do anything ahead of the cruise other than make sure your Captains Club numbers are added to your reservation. Then once you're on board you just create an account and log on (and off when you're not using) for the free minutes.

Thanks!  What I was planning on doing, since he just needs to surf for checking emails/work, was buying him the 1 device surf plan.  I was going to use both our free 90 minutes so I'd get 180 minutes of steaming to use throughout the sea days, then in St. Thomas I have cell service and again once in San Juan.  But if the price for the 1 device streaming with the Elite discount isn't too horrible, then I'll just buy that.  That's why I was wondering about the discount.  So I can call Captains Club and see how much it is with my discount, then decide?  Awesome!  Thanks!! 

[Luvcrusn]

3 hours ago, CruisinCons said:

Thanks!  What I was planning on doing, since he just needs to surf for checking emails/work, was buying him the 1 device surf plan.  I was going to use both our free 90 minutes so I'd get 180 minutes of steaming to use throughout the sea days, then in St. Thomas I have cell service and again once in San Juan.  But if the price for the 1 device streaming with the Elite discount isn't too horrible, then I'll just buy that.  That's why I was wondering about the discount.  So I can call Captains Club and see how much it is with my discount, then decide?  Awesome!  Thanks!! 

Yes. Just keep in mind you each get the choice of either the discount or the free 90 minutes. 

[CruisinCons]

7 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

Yes. Just keep in mind you each get the choice of either the discount or the free 90 minutes. 

 

Thanks.  We were going to pay the Cruise Planner price for my husband's surf only.  It's only $80 at the moment, so not a bad deal to us. 

[aml3679]

We have only been on 1 RCL cruise and 1 Carnival, the less Celebrity.

 

One of the main differences, is the food.  Celebrity has a reputation for outstanding food and I agree, we have found very few things that we do not like.